Back to School Backpacks

With Ben and Ellie headed to preschool this year, I needed to make them both backpacks! I loved making Samantha's last year, so I knew I wanted to make theirs this year. I searched around a lot for cute fabrics for them that were home dec weight - I found several cute ones, but they had too much white and white+kid+backpack=dirt!



I finally found some cute prints on Etsy and ordered them right away! I have enough left of both to make another of each print, so I may make more sometime! (Always need a backup, right?) I used Rae's Toddler Backpack pattern, upsized to fit a folder.



I did make a few changes for their backpacks that I didn't make for Samantha's. I used fusible fleece to give the backpacks some shape - Samantha's is so floppy that her folder bent in half last year. I also lined theirs to make them look nice on the inside. I plan to go back and line Samantha's and add fusible fleece to the lining to help give it more body.





We made a little 'mud room' in our entry hall and hung these cute hooks I found at IKEA. In order to reduce fighting, I hung letters above the hooks so each kiddo has their own hook. Voila!